Why posts vacant in NDMA and NIDM, HC asks Centre

The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to state why vacant posts in the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) have not been filled up in the last two years.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said if the posts lying vacant were not necessary, then these can be deleted and the institutions can be wound up.
"If the posts are unnecessary, then delete them," the court said while issuing notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs and asking it to indicate its stand on affidavit before the next date on September 19.

The bench was hearing a PIL by a lawyer who has claimed that several key posts, including that of the Vice Chairperson and Secretary of NDMA, have been lying vacant for the past two years and this was seriously affecting its functioning.
Several posts are lying vacant also in the NIDM which was established to provide assistance in the national level policy formulation, organise training programmes, carry out research and several other important functions, the PIL by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal said.
"It is important to mention that Respondent 1 (MHA), in order to provide skilled human resources, critical supplies for emergency responses etc, created a network i.E. India Disaster Resource Network (IDRN).

"For the successful implementation of IDRN, MHA has authorised NIDM to organise training programmes regularly across the country. However, due to lack of manpower since last two years, NIDM has not organised any such regular training programme," the petition said.
Bansal has sought directions to the government to fill up all the vacant posts in the two organisations.